Our global experiments past, present and future

This year however, we want more. We are always looking to add to our series of experiments, which currently includes testing the levels of vitamin C in fruit and vegetables, growing crystals, testing hydrogels or investigating
materials which can block UV light.

Data from existing experiments 

To further increase engagement in the experiment, our website holds all participants’ posted results. Students, perhaps for the first time, get to publish data like real scientists and either celebrate their school appearing on the map or interrogate the data for trends. With older groups, teachers can also discuss experimental design and investigate these changes. 

Looking back over recent experiments, there are lots of interesting results. From our experiment, launched in 2013 to test levels of vitamin C in fruit and vegetables, participants ran a quick test by counting the number of iodine drops needed to change the colour of a Vitamin C solution (containing starch).

While this was not a completely accurate measure, the results from the mass participation experiment stack up well with red peppers, oranges and kiwi fruits shown to contain higher levels of vitamin C in comparison with other fruits and vegetables.

Students around the world discovered that red peppers, perhaps surprisingly, have the most Vitamin C per gram. 

A closer look at last year’s project – Water: a global experiment with hydrogels – suggests that the nappies purchased in the United Arab Emirates may contain less hydrogel than those from the UK.

Going global

The global experiments are flexible, use easily sourced materials, are simple to perform and are adaptable for schools, science clubs and Scouts/Guides groups, across a wide age range. 

A great example of how far the experiments have reached, comes from two school students from Lossiemouth High School in Moray. Rhiannon Cleghorn and Rebecca Brown recently completed a visit to Bokomoso School in Botswana to develop a link between the schools. The link involved senior pupils from Lossiemouth delivering lessons to the pupils in Botswana. Rhiannon and Rebecca ran the hydrogels global experiment due to its ease of transport, affordability and adaptability.

The global experiment last year reached 14 different countries and the crystals experiment before that had participants from 22, so the reach is consistently international. 

Adapting the global experiment to meet your needs 

Each of these experiments includes a number of different investigations, catering for the wide variety of ages involved. Teachers can choose to take part in one small, focused activity or run a variety. Our website can accommodate results from only a few variables, in one experiment, if needed.

We link our global experiments to the British Science Association’s CREST awards. To earn one of these awards, participants would typically need to run a certain number of hours of project work (which depends on the age group) using the global experiment. We provide a guide and in Mission: Starlight, challenge students to make their own experimental UV-blocking material. Our experiments can also inspire all sorts of spin-off projects.

Jason O’Grady, a chemistry teacher from Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College, recently shared a student project with us. Jason’s pupils investigated the effect of the amount of ionic charge in a solution on the volume of water absorbed by a hydrogel. They found that increasing the ionic charge using different salts reduced the amount of water absorbed.

Jason also shared that by expanding the context of the global experiment, his group “found it a very interesting and a stimulating project to complete. I believe it has massive sixth form chemistry potential.” 

The Northern Ireland Science Festival (18–28 February 2016) hosted a global experiment day (23 February), where hundreds of schools signed up to run our new Mission: Starlight experiment and post their data. 

Our regional education coordinators and I will be running demos or visiting schools to deliver the experiment. You can help by sharing links to Mission: Starlight with teachers in your network as part of that event.